THE HAGUE, the Netherlands, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- AZ handed Ajax their first defeat of the Eredivisie season on Sunday, by beating the reigning champions 3-2 in Alkmaar.
AZ were the better side in the first half, but Ajax took the lead after a free-kick by Christian Eriksen. At the stroke of half- time Roy Beerens equalized after a mistake by Ajax goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer. Due to sickness the latter was replaced by Jasper Cillessen at the start of second half.
Ajax took control in the second part with captain Siem de Jong giving the visitors the lead again. He headed in a cross by Bojan Krkic. However, a red card for Ajax-defender Ricardo van Rhijn, after stopping Nick Viergever illegally, became the turning point of the match. Aron Johannsson converted the awarded penalty on fifteen minutes from time Viktor Elm earned AZ the victory.
"We were not playing well in the first half," Ajax coach Frank de Boer reacted. "In the second half we were better and we were waiting for the third goal. After the red card and the penalty things turned around unfortunately. I think it should not have been a red card."
Also on Sunday Feyenoord led already their second defeat of the season, 4-1 at home to FC Twente. On Saturday PSV Eindhoven beat NEC Nijmegen 5-0, thanks to a hat-trick by 17-year-old forward Zakaria Bakkali and two goals by Georginio Wijnaldum.
PSV, FC Groningen, sc Heerenveen and PEC Zwolle are the only teams left with the maximum amount of six points after two match rounds. Groningen beat FC Utrecht 2-0 on Sunday, while on Saturday Heerenveen won 2-0 at NAC Breda and Zwolle won 3-1 at Heracles Almelo.